Giving the ketogenic diet a try? We’ve rounded up some of the best low-carb breakfast, dinner and side dish recipes that are higher in fat than protein, which can help you follow a keto diet plan. If you’re tracking your keto diet ratios, each recipe has nutritional information at the bottom, and some include ketogenic serving suggestions in the notes. Related collections: Low carb recipes, refined sugar free recipes, paleo recipes

You can have a completely smooth transition into ketosis, or…not. While your body is adapting to using ketones as your new fuel source, you may experience a range of uncomfortable short-term symptoms. These symptoms are referred to as “the keto flu.” Low-sodium levels are often to blame for symptoms keto flu, since the kidneys secrete more sodium when you’re in ketosis, says Volek. A few side effects:

Thanks so much Kelly! Not sure what the Atkins intro is, but I’m sure they have their reasons! Maybe if it’s slower it’s to ease the detox symptoms that cause some people to quit and then figure it’s better to ease into it. Personally I’m about ripping off the bandaid and getting it over with, ya know? So glad you and your husband are on board – keep us posted on your progress!!!
Implementing the diet can present difficulties for caregivers and the patient due to the time commitment involved in measuring and planning meals. Since any unplanned eating can potentially break the nutritional balance required, some people find the discipline needed to maintain the diet challenging and unpleasant. Some people terminate the diet or switch to a less demanding diet, like the modified Atkins diet (MAD) or the low-glycaemic index treatment (LGIT) diet, because they find the difficulties too great.[41]
Hello. I’m a kept newbie. Started 6 days ago today. By day 4 I was down 10lbs. I’m following the 20 or less carbs a day, altho I more like less than 10 on most days. I have only wanted to harm someone for a cookie twice, and my bf for his fried potatoes once. I’m honestly shocked at how much food I really can eat with no carbs. And then on some days, shocked at how many carbs are in other things. Headaches and lack of energy are the only thing that I find bothersome, but i am pushing thru it. Thank u for a very detailed site. It’s helped me, and a coworker.

Because the main tenet of the keto diet is counting and cutting carbs — a commonly used way to control blood sugar — this eating approach has become increasingly popular among people with type 2 diabetes who are looking to lower their A1C, which is the two- to three-month average measurement of blood sugar levels. Indeed, research suggests this diet may lead to fast weight loss and potentially lower blood sugar for people with the disease. (13)

Since this is my full-time job, donations really help me keep afloat and allow me to post as much to the website as I do. I really appreciate any donation you want to give, but you can change the price yourself. I’ve added in $15 as the suggested price. I think that’s a very fair price considering other websites are charging in the hundreds of dollars, and I’ve seen what they are like on the inside.

One area where food tracking can be especially helpful, though, is ensuring that you're hitting the right ratios of macronutrients—protein, carbs, and fat. "The most researched version of the ketogenic diet derives 70 percent of calories from healthy fats, 20 percent from protein, and only 10 percent from carbs," explains Charles Passler, D.C., nutritionist, and founder of Pure Change. "In the ideal world, each keto meal and snack should have that same (70/20/10) ratio of macronutrients, but studies have shown that you'll still achieve great results even if each meal varies slightly from that ratio, just as long as you don't exceed 50 grams per day of carbs, or eat those carbs in one sitting," says Passler. In order to achieve these ratios without a preset meal plan from a dietitian or doctor, some food tracking is probably going to be necessary. But once you get the hang of things, you may not need it anymore.

Hello! I recently lost 125 lbs following a keto diet. It’s starting to creep back on. My question is, have you tried a product like Keto OS? I want to eat Keto strictly, minus one meal a week. I feel that I will maintain better this way. I don’t want to knock myself out of ketosis and take days to get back in, though. My hope was that I can go full Keto, have one meal “off” a week and follow up with Keto OS to put me right back in and stay in for another week. Thoughts? Will this work? Thank you!

After initiation, the child regularly visits the hospital outpatient clinic where he or she is seen by the dietitian and neurologist, and various tests and examinations are performed. These are held every three months for the first year and then every six months thereafter. Infants under one year old are seen more frequently, with the initial visit held after just two to four weeks.[9] A period of minor adjustments is necessary to ensure consistent ketosis is maintained and to better adapt the meal plans to the patient. This fine-tuning is typically done over the telephone with the hospital dietitian[18] and includes changing the number of calories, altering the ketogenic ratio, or adding some MCT or coconut oils to a classic diet.[3] Urinary ketone levels are checked daily to detect whether ketosis has been achieved and to confirm that the patient is following the diet, though the level of ketones does not correlate with an anticonvulsant effect.[18] This is performed using ketone test strips containing nitroprusside, which change colour from buff-pink to maroon in the presence of acetoacetate (one of the three ketone bodies).[44]

Miss Mellissa…. I was doing *so well* with keto eating last summer and dropped some weight, but all the old (bad, bad) habits started sneaking in and I’m in one heck of a pickle. Just wanted to say “thanks” for this jump-start… Hopefully this will help me remember what I’m SUPPOSED to be doing. Got a long slog ahead of me, but I have hope I can make it. Your site is so, so helpful, and I really appreciate all you do. Thank you.

But generally speaking, if you plan to follow a ketogenic diet, you should aim to consume less than 10 percent of your total calories from carbohydrates per day. The remaining calories should come from 20 to 30 percent protein and 60 to 80 percent fat. That means if you follow a daily 2,000-calorie diet, no more than 200 of your calories (or 50 grams) should come from carbs, while 400 to 600 calories should come from protein and 1,200 to 1,600 should come from fat. (There’s a reason this plan is also called a high-fat, low-carb diet!)

The researchers agree that the diet itself isn’t inherently dangerous. But, cautions Weiss, “If you have any medical condition, if you take any medicine at all – there are lots of things that change how medicines work in our bodies, and nutrition is definitely one of them. If you’re making a real change in your nutrition, you really should talk to your doctor.”
Fairly recently, the diet was introduced as a weight-loss diet by an Italian professor of surgery, Dr. Gianfranco Cappello of Sapienza University in Rome. In his 2012 study, about 19,000 dieters received a high-fat liquid diet via a feeding tube inserted down the nose. The study showed an average weight loss of more than 20 pounds in participants, most of whom kept it off for at least a year. The researchers reported a few minor side effects, like fatigue.
Now, what should you eat? There are endless combinations of food and it really depends on your personal preference. I put together a simple 3 day keto menu plan to get you started. This is what works for me, and because my body knows the drill, I can actually get back into ketosis in less than 2 days on this plan. If you are new to low carb, it may take you as long as 4 to 5 days. Don’t despair, it will happen.

My husband is trying to eat more Keto meals and this recipe is made up of his FAVORITE things! I sent him the link to it and he was inspired! Last night, he made himself a big hearty batch of this recipe and thoroughly loved it. He even shared photos of his meal on Facebook and our friends were in awe of his creation and the recipe you provided. I don’t enjoy mushrooms, so I’m reviewing this on my husband’s behalf. It was EXCELLENT!

Re-starting keto today after the holidays! My previous stint I was counting carbs until I got used to what foods had (though I may not have been 100% honest with myself) and pick/chose recipes from the internet. It seemed like so much work. I did use a few recipes from IBIH but never realized you had compiled meal plans and shopping lists till my friend mentioned it yesterday! I’m excited to rely on your menu plans for the new year – thanks! (only catch is my husband refuses to eat chili so I may have to substitute for that meal…)
Yes, your ketogenic diet menu plan also includes your restaurant meals. That doesn’t mean you will eat less. But eat intelligently so that your colleagues don’t even understand that you are dieting. For the main dish order a fish or meat. Avoid bread or having rice and instead order more vegetables and salad. Ask the cook or the chef to cook your food in olive oil or in coconut oil.

Made this for the first time tonight, excellent! I read the comments before I started so I knew to beat the eggs well and drain the beef. Thank you to everyone who commented! I didn’t use pickles, instead I put a few dots of sweet relish on top of the beef/bacon layer then spread them out a bit. Not so keto friendly but there isn’t much in a portion and it’s much quicker than dealing with pickles. Hubby asked me what I thought of it as he went for seconds. I quite enjoyed this and he did too! I had much more beef than called for, I used all 3 eggs and beat them well before the whipping cream and yellow mustard went in.There was no eggy taste. I will definitely make this again!

The ketogenic diet for weight loss is based on the idea that driving the body into ketosis will maximize fat loss. Ketosis is a normal metabolic process that occurs when the body does not have enough glucose stores for energy. When these stores are depleted, the body resorts to burning stored fat for energy instead of carbs. This process produces acids called ketones, which build up in the body and can be used for energy. (2)
If you’re eating fewer carbohydrates than you’re used to, you’re probably also skimping on the insoluble fibre found in fruit, vegetables and whole-grain foods – the kind that adds bulk to your digestive tract and keeps things running smoothly. “When you cut out carbs, it’s hard to consume 25g of fibre a day – the amount you need for healthy bowel functioning,” says dietitian Bethany Doerfler.
The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, adequate-protein, low-carbohydrate diet that in medicine is used primarily to treat difficult-to-control (refractory) epilepsy in children. The diet forces the body to burn fats rather than carbohydrates. Normally, the carbohydrates contained in food are converted into glucose, which is then transported around the body and is particularly important in fueling brain function. However, if there is little carbohydrate in the diet, the liver converts fat into fatty acids and ketone bodies. The ketone bodies pass into the brain and replace glucose as an energy source. An elevated level of ketone bodies in the blood, a state known as ketosis, leads to a reduction in the frequency of epileptic seizures.[1] Almost half of children and young people with epilepsy who have tried some form of this diet saw the number of seizures drop by at least half, and the effect persists even after discontinuing the diet.[2] There is some evidence that adults with epilepsy may benefit from the diet, and that a less strict regimen, such as a modified Atkins diet, is similarly effective.[1] The most common adverse effect is constipation, affecting about 30% of patients—this was due to fluid restriction, which was once a feature of the diet, but this led to increased risk of kidney stones and is no longer considered beneficial.[2][3]
when progress stalls there are three things to consider. 1: You can try to ride it out. Your body might be making some “behind the scenes” adjustments and once these are done you will start to loose again. 2: You will have to change either the intensity or the length of your exercise sessions. 3: In addition, you might have to tighten up on your calories. Have You been tracking your calories?…

Not everyone has a problem with keto breath Dor – according to my husband I didn’t have any issues, and I know lots of other people who haven’t either. I guess whether it’s worth it for you to try or not depends on how much weight you have to lose and how desperate you are to lose it! If keto is the only thing that works for you then you’ll risk the breath, otherwise you can try a different kind of weight loss plan. I vote try it and see what happens!

There are theoretically no restrictions on where the ketogenic diet might be used, and it can cost less than modern anticonvulsants. However, fasting and dietary changes are affected by religious and cultural issues. A culture where food is often prepared by grandparents or hired help means more people must be educated about the diet. When families dine together, sharing the same meal, it can be difficult to separate the child's meal. In many countries, food labelling is not mandatory so calculating the proportions of fat, protein and carbohydrate is difficult. In some countries, it may be hard to find sugar-free forms of medicines and supplements, to purchase an accurate electronic scale, or to afford MCT oils.[53]
That’s why many health experts are concerned about people on the keto diet, especially those who try it without the guidance of a doctor or nutritionist. Doctors say that high-fat diets like this one may raise cholesterol levels, and some studies suggest that they increase the risk of diabetes. Some have even called it a “cardiologist’s nightmare.”
Low carb recipes are essential for a keto diet! A few years ago, we started making keto recipes and after realizing just how delicious they are and how they make us feel, we never looked back! These low carb recipes will make you feel better, live better and eat better. Each recipe is absolutely delicious – we know because we only share the ones we absolutely love. You can also try our low carb breakfasts, low carb lunches, low carb dinners, low carb desserts and more!
Do you by chance have a shopping list for this 3 day beginning plan? I am a beginner and am so overwhelmed with information. The best part about your plans is they don’t require a tone of ingredients for 1 recipe. I don’t like when I have to but 15 things for 1 meal. I also love how you have something for breakfast and then can use it again for lunch (day 1 isn’t an example). Thank you so much for taking the time to put these together. Also, for all the information you provided.
Just a followup to my earlier post with some quick numbers – I have been keeping carbs under 15 per day and the fat around 75-85%, with protein about 25% or less. I have not lost one pound while on the Keto diet, but I do feel that it is a much more natural way to eat. I don’t snack, I only eat 3 meals daily, I just cannot get into the habit of snacking and I’m not hungry enough to be bothered with additional food.
"I recommend only 5 percent of calories coming from carbs, which usually averages out to less than 30 grams," he says. "I understand why people get nervous and panic, thinking 'Can I even eat a salad?' This is why I recommend tracking only 'net carbs', which are total carbs minus fiber. For example, an avocado has 12 grams of carbs but 10 grams of fiber, which means it has 2 grams of net carbs. Also, green leafy vegetables are very nutritious and contain a lot of fiber, so you can almost eat them as much as you want and stay below your limit.
You’ll just have to search for some recipes that are low carb and dairy free! Week 5 of my keto menu plans is mostly dairy free and easily made completely dairy free. I have also started a pinterest board where I’m collecting low carb recipes that are also dairy free and I’ll be working on adding more recipes to that. You might also try searching for Paleo recipes, many of them are dairy free and can easily be made low carb as well! Hope that helps!
Keep eating low carb to continue losing weight, feeling good and becoming healthier!Try making any of our hundreds of recipes available on the site. We make sure each and every recipe is delicious, nutritious and will keep you under your daily carb limit, even if you go for seconds. In addition, we provide step-by-step instructions to make the process as easy as possible. If you ever run into any issues or have any questions, be sure to leave a comment or contact us directly! We’re always happy to help.
The easiest macro to calculate in the ketogenic diet is fat. Once you've got your carbs and protein set, simply fill the rest of your daily calorie needs with fat sources. If you find yourself wanting to gain a bit of weight, add approximately 500 calories, or 55 grams. If you want to lose weight, cut down on your fat intake by 200-500 calories, or 22-55 grams.
"I recommend only 5 percent of calories coming from carbs, which usually averages out to less than 30 grams," he says. "I understand why people get nervous and panic, thinking 'Can I even eat a salad?' This is why I recommend tracking only 'net carbs', which are total carbs minus fiber. For example, an avocado has 12 grams of carbs but 10 grams of fiber, which means it has 2 grams of net carbs. Also, green leafy vegetables are very nutritious and contain a lot of fiber, so you can almost eat them as much as you want and stay below your limit.
Blanket statement: It’s always best to check with your doctor before starting on this regimen. With that said, “the keto diet isn’t recommended for those with liver or kidney disease, or someone with a medical condition, such as a gastrointestinal issue, who can’t metabolize high amounts of dietary fat,” says Sarah Jadin, a Los-Angeles based registered dietitian and founder of Keto Consulting, LLC. If you’ve had your gallbladder removed, the keto diet may be a no-go. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding and people with certain rare genetic disorders shouldn’t try this diet.

You might want to consider using a calprie counter/tool to help you determine the amount of calories, fat, protein, etc in food. I find MY Fitness Pal to be eztremely useful. You put in the type of food and it calculates all those tricky numbers for you. You can even see the macros (percentages) or set your own.it might seem a bit confusing at first but you’ll get the hang of it. Best of luck!

Today is day one! Breakfast was delicious. So happy I found your blog and thank you for the recipes and especially the shopping list! You’ve left me with no excuses and actually a little bit excited to begin this 21 day adventure. This is huge. I’ve done Paleo before, felt good, but it didn’t last long term. My body needs to be low carb, no sugar, so again, thank you.
Sleep enough – for most people at least seven hours per night on average – and keep stress under control. Sleep deprivation and stress hormones raise blood sugar levels, slowing ketosis and weight loss a bit. Plus they might make it harder to stick to a keto diet, and resist temptations. So while handling sleep and stress will not get you into ketosis on it’s own, it’s still worth thinking about.